Universal burglar alarm



Patented Feb. 13, 1951 Application August 30, 1949, Serial No. 113,184 2 Claims. (Cl. 177-314) This, invention relates to a burglar alarm, and

more particularly to an alarm which isadapted to be actuated upon surreptitious opening of a door, window, or the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a burglar alarm, which is actuated upon opening of a door, or window, to give a combined explosive and ringin alarm toscare away a burglar and warn the occupant.

Another object of the invention is to provide a burglar alarm wherein a plurality of blank cartridges are fired upon actuation of the device'to thereby simulate a revolver being fired whereby the burglarly or hold-up will'be frustrated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a burglar alarm which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of. this application, and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the burglar alarm, according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the alarm housing; and showing the po-' sition of the parts when the alarm is set or cocked."

. Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but show- Figure 5 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view taken through the housing;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5; and

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 5.

Referring in detail to the drawings, there is shown a burglar alarm whih includes a housing III that is adapted to be connected to a supporting structure, such as apart of a building I I, by suitable securing elements, such as screws 12. The housing l includes spaced parallel end walls l3 and i4, and extending between walls I 3 and I4 are spaced sidewalls l and 16, Figure 5. The housing In further includes a bottom wall l1 which is arranged contiguous to the supporting body ll.

The upper end of the housing I0 is open, and acover i8 is provided for normally closing the open end of thehousing i 0. v The cover I8 is provided with a plurality of openings or slots 19 and exhaust gases from the detonated cartridges are adapted to pass through the openings I 9.

its movement through the housing l0.

The cover I8 is further provided with depending end portions 23 and 2|, and depending side portions 22 and 23, and these depending portions surround the end and side walls of the housing l0 when the cover is assembled thereon. For maintaining the cover I8 assembled onthe housing III, a pair of spring levers or catches 24 are arranged in engagement with the ends of the cover.. The spring levers 24 can be readily moved out of engagement with the cover l8, when the cover is to be removed, as for reloading the device with blank cartridges.

Positioned in the housing 10, intermediate the ends thereof, is a base 25 which is provided with a plurality of spaced parallel sockets 26 therein.

A plate 21 having openings 28 therein is arranged adjacent one face of the base 25, and the base .25 is secured in any suitable manner to the housing 10. A blank cartridge 29 is adapted to be no sitioned in each of the sockets 26. Slidably arranged in the housing lflis a plunger or hammer 30 which has projecting therefrom a pair of pins 3|. The pins 3| project throughslots 32 in the sides of the housing and the cover, and the pins 3| serve to guide the plunger 3llduring For urging the plunger 30 towards the base 25, a coil spring 33 is arranged in the housing, one end of the coil spring 33 being circumposed about a bolt 34 which is secured to the plunger 30. The

other end of the coil spring 33 is circumposed around a short stud bolt 35 that projects from the end of the housing. The bolts 34 and 35 serve to insure that the spring 33 will be correctly aligned.

Carried by the plunger 30 is a plurality of spaced firing pins 36 which are adapted to project through the openings 28 in the plate 21 and into engagement with the blank cartridges 29 to detonate or fire the latter upon forward movement of the plunger 30.

tend through an opening in the cover [8 and engage with a recess 4|] in one side of the plunger 30, Figure 3. A spring 4| is secured to the keeper 31 for normally urging the keeper 31 in engagement with the recess 40. The free end of the spring 4] slidably engages the portion of the cover about the opening 60 through which the lower end of the keeper 31 extends. Thus the spring tensions the keeper in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the spring 4| tends to resist the thrust provided by spring 33. Spring 4! also holds arm 44 in a position so as to keep the circuit completed whereby the bell 5| will keep ringing until the device is reset.

For acutating or pivoting the keeper 31, a plurality of feeler lines 42 are connected to the outer end of the keeper 31, Figure 1. Thus, in the event that a burglar contacts one of the keeper lines 42, the keeper 31 will be pivoted to the position showing in Figure 3, whereupon the plunger 30 will be forced forwardly by the coil spring 33.,

Further, the burglar alarm of the present invention includes an electrically operated hell or sounding device which further serves to warn the occupants of the building and scare away the burglar.

Thus, it will be seen that a cable or line 43 connects the outer end of the keeper 31 to an arm 44. Carried by the arm 44 is a terminal 45 which is mounted for movement into and out of engagement with a terminal 46 that is mounted on an arm 41. A suitable source of electrical energy, such as a battery 48, is connected to the arm 44 by a line 49, and a line 50' electrically connects the battery as to the hell or buzzer assembly 5|. A line 52 electrically connects the bell assembly 5| to the arm 41.

In use, the housing i0 is secured to any suitable supporting structure, and after the cover 18 has been removed, the base is loaded with blank cartridges 29. Then, the cover I8 is replaced on the housing l0, and the spring levers 24 serve to maintain the cover on the housing It). The user then retracts the plunger by means of the pins 3|, and than the inner end of the keeper 31 is moved into engagement with the recess 40 on the plunger 30, so that the plunger 30 is maintained in its retracted position. In the position of Fig. 2 the keeper has passed its center of balance on the pin 39. Thus the spring 4| will urge the keeper into the position of Fig. 2 to retain the plunger 30 in its retracted position. The i'eeler lines 42 are connected to a window, door, or may be extended across a field. Then, in the event that a burglar surreptitiously opens the window cr trips the fceler line 42, the keeper 31 will be pivoted to the position shown in Figure 3, where- I upon the coil spring 33 will force the plunger 30 forwardly. As the plunger 30 moves forwardly, it carries the firing pins 36 into engagement with the blank cartridges 29 so that the cartridges are detonated whereupon the occupants will be warned and the burglar will be frustrated. At the same time, pivotal movement of the keeper 31 will cause the terminal 45 to move into engagement with the terminal 46 so that the circuit leading to the buzzer 5| will be energized whereupon a further alarm will be sounded to insure that the burglary will be frustrated.

Further, the various partsof the device are made of fireproof material, and the exhaust gases are adapted to be emitted through the openings IS in the cover l8 on the housing Hi. If desired, the cartridges can be filled with tear gas to further harass the burglar. When the alarm is not needed, it can be readily disconnected so as to prevent accidental actuation thereof. Since there is a plurality of the cartridges 29, even though one of the cartridges may be defective,

may be energized when the alarm is actuated.

However, it is to be understood that the universal burglar alarm can be used in places which do not have electricity. The alarm gong or bell may be of the type which is hand wound. The

primary alarm emits noise but no fire. If desired;

tear gas cartridges may be used in the alarm to harass and frustrate the burglar. The number 01' cartridges and also the number of feeler lines may be varied as desired so that many different places can be protected by this universal burglar alarm.

What I claim:

1. In a burglar alarm, a'housing havin v an open top, a cover for closing the open top of the housing, a pair of spring catches carried by the housing and adapted to engage the cover to retain said cover on said housing, a base member in said housing intermediate of the ends thereof, a plurality of spaced parallel sockets in said base member, a plate fixed to the base of said housing within said housing, and said base member is secured to said plate and said plate is provided with openings in alinement with the sockets in said base member, cartridges in said sockets, a plunger slidably mounted in said housing, firing pins carried by said plunger adapted to engage the cartridges for the firing thereof, said housing having longitudinally extending slots in the op: posite sides thereof, pins extending outwardly of said plunger on both sides thereof and engaging said slot to guide said. plunger in said housing, extensions mounted on the rear of said plunger and in the housing at the rear of said plunger in alinement with each other, a spring on said extensions to urge said plunger toward said plate, a pair of upstanding apertured ears on said cover and said cover provided with an opening between said ears, a keeper pivoted in said ears having one end thereof extending through said opening, and engaging a notch in the upper surface of said plunger. a spring on said keeper adapted to engage the cover about the opening and retain the keeper in engagement with the notch in the plunger and the plunger in retracted position, and a plurality of feeler lines connected to said keeper for actuating the same, and openings in said cover for the egress of exhaust gases from said housing.

2. In a burglar alarm, a housing including spaced parallel end walls and spaced side walls extending between said end walls, a cover supported on the upper end of said housing, there being a plurality of openings spaced in said cover for egress therethrough of exhaust gases, a pair of spring levers for maintaining said cover on said housing, a base positioned on said housing intermediate the end walls thereof, said base being provided with a plurality of spaced parallel sockets therein for holding cartridges, a plunger slidably arranged in said housing, there being opposed slots in the side walls of said housing, pins projecting from said plunger andthrough said slots, a plurality of spaced firing pins carried by said plunger and adapted to detonate said cartridg a coil spring interposed between said 5 8 plunger and one of the end walls of said housing UNITED STATES PATENTS for normally urging said plunger toward said Number Name Date base, a keeper for selectively holding said plunger 290,605 Pratt Dec. 18, 1883 in recalled position, a plurality of feeler lines con- 971,776 Myers Oct 4. 1910 nected to said keeper and adapted to disengage 5 11,065,508 Crawford June 24, 1913 said keeper from Said P 8 1 345 7 3 Ritchie July. 13 1920 WILLIAM LAWRENCE' 1,505,721 Manuel Aug, 19, 1924 REFERENCES CITED 1,792,023 Macy Feb. 10, 1931 The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

